Michigan’s July Unemployment Rate Rises

Lansing – Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July increased over the month by four-tenths of a percentage point to 9.0 percent, according to data released today by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB).  The number of unemployed in Michigan moved up by 19,000 in July, while the size of the state’s labor force was little changed.

The Michigan jobless rate in July 2012 was one and six-tenths percentage points below the state’s July 2011 rate of 10.6 percent.  The national jobless rate decreased by eight-tenths of a percentage point over this period.  The state’s unemployment rate in July was seven-tenths of a percentage point above the national rate of 8.3 percent.  The U.S. jobless rate edged up over the month by one-tenth of a percentage point.

“Since the beginning of 2012, employment in Michigan has recorded modest gains,” said Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.  “The state jobless rate, after dipping in the spring, has now returned to the January 2012 level.  However, the Michigan unemployment rate remains well below the summer 2011 levels.”